CJ Faderogao

Besides a visit to Barasoain, another excursion that I had last holy week is a motorcycle ride to Batangas. We visited the Monte Maria pilgrimage site in Batangas city, along with the scenic beaches and mountain roads of Lobo.    Clockwise: A group photo at Monte Maria, the beaches of Lobo, and the Taysan-Lobo road. Traversing rural areas, shorelines, and mountain paths, our trip was a pilgrimage, a nature adventure, and a tour of Batangas all at once. This blogpost recounts our holy week journey. This is my motorcycle ride series, of views and gears.  * * * Road to Batangas city Our ride starts at dawn, just before 6 am in Las Piñas city. To get to Batangas city, we considered two routes: go through Muntinlupa and Laguna's service roads or go through Emilio Aguinaldo highway to get to Tagaytay and descend into Lemery, Batangas. We went with the latter, not only because it is the least busy route, but also because it has the more scenic views.  Stop over at Emilio Aguinaldo hwy. in

This year, I spent Easter at  Barasoain church in Malolos, Bulacan. This historical marker has been on my travel list for a long time now but my recent travels up north doesn't permit a stop at Malolos. Now, with a weekend to spare-and an important Catholic occasion to observe-I found last week's Easter Sunday the opportune moment to finally visit it.  I spent the day appreciating Barasoain, not only as place of worship, but also as a witness to the historical events that happened within its walls over a century ago. Barasoain church's early history and architecture The Barasoain church, also called Our lady of Mount Carmel Parish,  was first built in the shores of Malolos river as a hermitage made of bamboo and nipa. It was  Bangkal's (the old name of Barasoain) town chapel. Over time, it was moved to its present location in  Paseo del congresso street  near downtown Malolos. It underwent many renovations because of fires and earthquakes; with its present design being

Marilaque, a popular, if not the most famous, destination for riders who reside in Metro Manila. Since its completion a decade ago-effectively connecting NCR with the province of Infanta-it has become a landmark for travelers, especially for those who go on two-wheels, who considers it both as a "playground" to test ride skills and a place to take a breather from the busy metro. This increased regard has allowed tourism to grow in the provinces that it covers, namely: Marikina, Rizal, Laguna, and Quezon. Numerous cafes, restaurants, and nature preserves has opened up within it in the last few years, allowing more people to discover the beauty of Sierra Madre It is not without blight however, as its winding roads have also seen shares of fatality because of reckless riders. Nevertheless, travelers still flock to this mountain path. The well-paved roads, the sparse traffic, and the beautiful views are enough for many to risk going into technical terrains just to see what lies w